The Never Ending Story
by Shaded Bubbles
Summary: To others, it's just a story. To Chihiro, it's neverending. The second return to the Kamikakushi presents to the young lady more adventure and dreams, yet as well obstacles to cross for a second lesson in growing up as well as friendship, and love itself.
1. Return

The Never-Ending Story

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything of Spirited Away. And that's that )

How many more days till the day we finally meet again?

How many more days till the day your promise is finally made true?

How many more days till the day when they will believe that my supposed story is not fiction?

And how many days will it be until the day when I wait no more…

-----

The pain was hurting badly, not to the extent of searing, but certainly enough to keep her nerves cringing under her skin. Her fingers desperately clung onto the sheets on her bed while she tried to keep her mind on happier things, such as maybe when this "torture" would cease to be. It was useless to scream, even more useless to try to fight against this pain because somewhere deep within, she knew that it was for her own good, but again she could not help feeling as though she was just a step away from Death's door.

Another exaggeration, she chided herself inwardly and took another sharp intake of breath when cold metal brushed against her skin. Ouch, that hurts! She wanted to jump up and slam something on the man's head and knock him out cold but logically, it was quite impossible.

"And…there you go! All nice and pretty again, Miss Ogino!" He smiled his best kindly smile at Chihiro Ogino who was finding difficulty in resisting an ill-mannered scowl at the cheery middle-aged man donned in a dentist coat. She reached for a cup of water and rinsed her mouth, watching the bits of leftover blood spilling onto the white surface of her machine. Her mouth felt funny but she decided that she would not complain and simply get used to it, lest her parents decide to take her back for another visit.

"Dchats zhuone?"

"Um, pardon?" Dr. Tanaka turned from the sink after washing his hands and peered at Chihiro through his thickly rimmed glasses, an act which made her feel highly uncomfortable. She spat out the mouthful of water and repeated her question.

"That's done?" She wiped her mouth with a tissue paper provided and proceeded to get off the chair. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the blinding light above the chair and she flinched slightly.

Dr. Tanaka laughed heartily and patted Chihiro on the shoulder, his gesture feeling more like a shove because he simply was a man too big and with too much strength sometimes. "Unless you want to come back here, and I assure you I would not mind a single bit, Chihiro darling."

No way, that hurt too much! Chihiro managed to smile weakly at the man, still finding it weird to have nothing in her mouth after years of that torturous braces. Again, another of my parents' idea of a perfect lady, she mused desperately. Right.

She turned to leave, grateful to leave the dentist once and for all when a deep voice casually called her back. "Hey Miss Ogino, what happened to your story?"

"Story?"

"The one which you used to tell me when I first saw you for your teeth, I think it's Kamikakushi, isn't it?"

"Oh, that." Chihiro hesitated to continue, fearing that she would once again be told off for fabricating nonsense as her parents would always say about her daydreams and wild fantasies. It does not exist, her mother would say. You're ridiculous, her father would then remark sternly and she would find herself more than often storming out of the room to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks. She told Dr. Tanaka once about it when he was small, and while he did not joke about it, he did not seem to take it seriously either.

"Um, why?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just that I think that you should always keep believing in it because if you don't, then hardly anyone else will."

A sudden surge of gratitude washed through Chihiro even as she stood there, face impassive due to the numbness she was feeling in her mouth but the slight curving of her lips told him otherwise. Indeed, in her heart, the Kamikakushi was a never-ending story.

-----

"I'm home." The oak doors opened to admit a nineteen year old young lady decked in jeans and a purple sweatshirt, her shoulder long hair tied up into a tiny ponytail.

Mrs. Ogino peeked out from the kitchens and smiled at her daughter while mixing the cake batter in a pot. "Lovely, you're just in time for dinner dear."

"Oh ok." She took off her brown coat and hung it up on the racks. A wafting scent of mutton stew caught her nose almost immediately and her feet hurried to enter the kitchen where indeed, a feast fit for many awaited her. "Wow, what's the occasion today?" Chihiro asked teasingly while trying out a mouthful of fruit salad.

Mrs. Ogino laid down the pot and while reaching out for a measuring cup, replied secretively to her precious daughter. "Well, look outside and see who's there."

Chihiro made a face at her mother who pretended to look angry even though she could not help but laugh a little at the weird look her daughter was portraying. She wiped the little bits of sauce off her lips and practically ran out of the kitchen to have a good look at the surprise her mother had somewhat planned for her.

And it certainly was one big surprise.

"Takumi-san!" Chihiro gasped when the familiar athletic build of her family friend came into view. "What brings you here today?" She hastened to give a little bow to the teenager who so happened to be the No.1 Hot Guy of the Year as ranked by her classmates, and while she had little interest in him in that manner, she had to admit that it was definitely an understatement.

"Your mother invited me over for dinner, so here I am!" Takumi smiled warmly, brushing away a few strands of dark hair from his forehead while he replied. "Surprised?"

"I sure am." Chihiro laughed at the way he was trying to act mysterious but the way his gaze was somehow transfixed on her made her laughter die away almost instataneously. She hastily tore her eyes away from his dark brown ones and busied herself by clearing the piles of magazines and food wrappers on the sofa. "Um, where's Uncle Satou? And Aunt Satou, didn't they come along?"

Takumi bent down to help with the clearing, occasionally sneaking peeks at Chihiro through the corner of his eye and made Chihiro even more self conscious of herself. "Oh yeah, they're upstairs now with Uncle Ogino. I came down because I wanted to help your mother, but she shooed me out so, yeah…"

"Oh…listen, do you want a drink? I'll get one." She rose to offer and insisted on getting him one even after Takumi attempted to refuse. Seeing that she was downright adamant about getting him one, he finally gave in to a glass of orangeade. Chihiro smiled and with a promise to be back as quickly as possible, ran back into the kitchen where her mother was starting to wash the oily pots and pans which had been previously used to prepare the dinner dishes. She took a steadying breath and while opening the refridgerator to take out a bottle of orangeade, finally mustered enough courage to broach the subject. Again.

"You invited Takumi, didn't you?" She asked flatly while pouring the juice into a glass which she had previously filled with ice. There was a slight pause and she could feel her mother contemplating a perfect answer, it was a nervous moment, possibly even awkward but she had enough patience so she waited.

"Yes, it was his whole family anyway…"

"So is this another meet the in-laws kind of gathering then?" Chihiro suddenly whirled around and stared at her mother straight, unable to contain the hurt and confusion in her gaze. But realising then how rude her outburst must have sounded, she muttered a "sorry" and turned to take out the glass when her mother suddenly spoke.

"It's for your own good Chihiro, Takumi is a good boy!"

"I know he is, that's why I can't agree to go out with him even though you must have tried matchmaking us for, I dunno, years!" Chihiro turned back to face her mother once more, this time with hurt showing in her eyes. "I'm not good enough for him…"

Mrs. Ogino slammed the tap shut firmly and walked towards her daughter. "You're good enough for the Satous and I'm perfectly fine with that! I mean, look at your social circle, it's just the same old people since secondary school and you hardly socialise with the rest of your standard! You weren't like that before…before…"

"Before we moved?" She finished coldly for her mother. "Then you might have realised that before we moved, I was more worthy of your trust isn't it?"

Silence, then dawning on Mrs. Ogino's part. "I see…it's still because of that rubbish Kamikakushi-"

"IT'S NOT RUBBISH, MOTHER!"

"Stop yelling like that to me, young lady, you and I both know that you simply have an overactive imagination which ought to be gone by now! I have had enough of you lying about that weird place! Things about me eating what's not mine, not paying for food, turned into a PIG! Gosh, Chihiro, I am sick and tired of all your nonsense!"

"Mother!" And she felt a tight slap across her face. There was a shattering of glass heard and orangeade spilled out from it, the tinkling of glass similar to Chihiro's heart shattering into a million pieces. The juice simply spread on more and more.

Chihiro fought hard against the tears now welling up in her eyes. She knew that she should not have been rude to her mother, but the way she spoke of Kamikakushi, the way she insisted that her daughter was a liar and nothing more…Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar.

LIAR.

"Oh…Chihiro, I didn't…I…"

The kitchen doors flew open and Takumi appeared at the doorway along with his parents and Mr. Ogino, all looking ashen-faced and shocked by what had happened. For a moment, nobody could find the correct words to say of the mess and nobody wanted to be the first to say something either.

Chihiro could not take it any longer, she needed a breather from this most unfortunate event caused by two wrong parties. With a barely audible "sorry, excuse me", she shoved past the still figures of her father and Takumi and tore down the hallway towards the oak doors of the Chihiro residence. She did not even bother to take her coat even though it was nearing nightfall outdoors and the chilly winds were whipping against her trembling body. She slipped into the closest pair of boots she could get and without tying up the laces, moved numbly down the driveway.

To where? She had no idea. She did not hate her mother, she understood how she must feel towards her daughter's anti-socialness, she knew that she had her best interests at heart. But maybe she would never know how much Kamikakushi had meant to Chihiro Ogino.

It was that very place which taught Chihiro what it meant to grow up, and how to do that. It was that very place which brought new meaning to the word "love" and the concept of true relationships without deceit or lies. There, Chihiro Ogino fought the many dangers, overcome the many obstacles, it was like growing up in 3 days except that the process would forever be a story to those who even bothered to listen. To those who did not, it was just a figment of a hyperactive imagination and they certainly could not care less, having more interest in perhaps sending her off to a mental instituition.

But she would not cry, she could not let herself cry because that would be the same as saying goodbye to that wonderful world of memories and love. She suddenly recalled what Dr. Tanaka had said to her then.

Believe in it, Chihiro. If you don't, hardly anyone else will.

Chihiro wrapped her arms around her body, feeling her teeth start to chatter in the chilly air and the sky ahead was slowly darkening. Nightfall was approaching and she was feeling so alone. She was walking downhill, but to where? She had no idea. Her mind was in a whirl and not capable of any logical thoughts. Sure there were ideas, but they were just too much of fantasies than possibilities. I mean, Chihiro mused silently. There is this possibility of going back to Kamikakushi…

No. You can't do that. Think about it, you have tried to return so many times before but everytime at the end of that tunnel would just be a normal abandoned theme park with nothing as magical as even a speck of glowing dust! What makes you think that this time, it would work?

But…well, I think that I am pretty desperate now…Chihiro stopped in her tracks and looked up ahead of her. There the tunnel lay, within a walk of 5 minutes or so. It was dark yet inviting, mysterious yet tempting…if she succeeded, another adventure of a lifetime would await, and of course, the familiar faces of Rin, Kamaji, Bou, Zeniba…and of course, Kohaku.

Kohaku. She bit her lips, thinking deeply and weighing out the pros and cons of trying to get back into the world once more. But it seemed that the pros seemed to outweigh the cons almost at once and she would really do anything to get out of the bitter cold and who knows what other monsters which roam the earth at night? Chihiro snickered at that childish thought but her feet had already begun to lead the way towards the tunnel. She should be afraid, apprehensive or even a coward as to turn back and run for home; yet another part of her was daring herself to move on, to be brave and maybe even, to grow up again.

-----

Okay, maybe it is not a good idea after all. Chihiro stood at the end of the tunnel, facing the similar slopes and rivers except that unlike the greenery she often saw, they were now dark and bathed in moonlight. Other than that, she was certainly not feeling any magic.

Disappointed, Chihiro climbed up the slopes to a rock and sat on it, commanding a view which overlooked what would have been the sea of lights of the Kamikakushi. A breeze blew against her and she rubbed her hands instinctively to create whatever warmth she could. Maybe she should just go home, her subconscious began to suggest but her legs were too tired to even budge an inch at that moment. Not that Chihiro was particularly disappointed with them, instead she found herself silently glad about it.

It was getting darker and the temperature was dropping slowly. Chihiro did nothing but sit there and thought about what had happened here as if it were a lifetime away. A lifetime only she remembered, but it's getting surprisingly cold in here, she could not help feeling. To the extent of being eerie, eerily cold…

And she did not know why herself but she suddenly found the strength to jump aside as her instincts had warned her then. A split second later, a bolt of energy pierced at the position where she had been a minute ago and split the rock into halves within the blink of an eye. Chihiro gulped and thanking her sixth sense, scrambled to her feet after catching a glimpse of her would-be attacker.

A two-headed freak which did not resemble anything on her Biology textbook but she certainly did not want to stay and take a picture of it when it unleashed yet another energy bolt at her, burning the shrub just beside her foot.

"Oh, sorry." She said hastily to the shrub before leaping across the river and making a mad rush towards whatever lay in front. But the more surprising thing was definitely not her unknown foe, but the very fact that Kamikakushi seemed to be transforming before her eyes. Lights lit up brilliantly, music began to sound, flags were raised and flown in the air, and it suddenly hit her that she was a human stranded in the magical realm with no food to save her.

"Crap." Chihiro jumped over yet another rock and landing on one foot, nearly lost her balance. Quickly, she turned down another row of stalls, hoping that nothing would catch her yet unless it proved to be friendlier than the shadowy figure now tearing down the street, bent on taking her life.

She reached an intersection, still gasping for breath but unwilling to stop because the unfortunate stool beside her was now ablaze. She swallowed hard and turned right on another mad dash towards the bridge towards the bathhouse. Maybe Rin would be there, I mean, she had to be there! Chihiro thought frantically and leapt to her left once again to avoid another bolt of energy. The ground was now charred badly and she could barely imagine what her foot would look like all black.

Mother definitely would not be pleased. Chihiro's eyes lit up when the familiar bridge came in sight, almost beckoning her to run on towards safety. But when she saw the scene before the bridge, her heart stopped immediately. Not the positive kind when you see a guy you have a fanatic crush on, but rather the negative one when something as bad as the sky falling happens.

Chihiro skidded to a halt, past caring whether Mr. Evil Bolts had caught up or not. In her eyes, there was only him, Kohaku and only Kohaku. She really did not want to see the girl he was holding hands with, did not want to see the smile he had, the laughter they shared, the way he gazed into her hazel coloured eyes and the way she gazed into his green ones.

Or the bolt which flew past her ear and landed just centimetres away from where the pair stood, and that caught Kohaku's attention finally because instantly, he looked up in fury only to see Chihiro staring in confusion at him and the monster now right above her head, getting ready to fling at her the final blow.

Chihiro jerked her head upwards and could barely stop her screams when something hard hit her on the forehead and she lapsed into a world of quiet darkness.

A world without Kohaku.


	2. Complications in Love

The Never-Ending Story

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own anything of Spirited Away. And that's that )

The lights, they are blinding. The room, cold.

Ouch, it hurts. Where is everyone else? Why isn't anyone I know here?

Turn off the lights, I can't see properly! Leave me alone, take away the pain! Let the tears flow!

Where am I? Where? WHERE!

-----

"Chihiro! Chihiro-chan! Wake up, you are going to be late for school again!"

Someone was calling out her name, a soothing and familiar voice. It was so close as if the woman was simply breathing by her side. She was beginning to shake the groggy figure of Chihiro, still calling out to her to remind her that it would soon be eight o'clock and that she ought to be awake by now.

"…huh…" Chihiro managed to force open her heavy eyelids and even though the scene was still as misty, there was no mistake in recognising the short brown hair and slightly plump outline of a woman she had known so well for the past nineteen years. That, that's Mrs. Ogino isn't it…

Mrs. Ogino…yes…Mrs. Ogino…

"Mother!" Chihiro could barely contain the shock within her as she sat up in breakneck speed, flinging the covers off her and nearly falling off her bed in sheer surprise. "Mother, is that you!"

Mrs. Ogino looked worriedly at her daughter as though she was suffering from a disease of some sort, possibly leading to a future case of amnesia or so, and she hastily placed her palm over Chihiro's forehead to check the temperature. "Why, yes Chihiro, don't you recognise me? Well if you don't, you should realise that you are going to be late if you continue to behave like a three year old baby." She wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing and indicated that breakfast was already prepared and waiting on the dining table. She was saying something else about the family car and sausages but Chihiro's mind was in too much of a whirl to really take in the facts.

Mother? But I thought that I was back in Kamikakushi! Was that all some…weird dream? Chihiro shook her head to clear the mist within it but somehow it just made it hurt more and her subconsciousness seemed to be failing her slowly. She tried to gulp a few mouthfuls of the air to steady her breathing but her irregular pulse stated otherwise. Dream or reality? She had absolutely no idea and decided to go wash up before any seconds thoughts could hit her again.

It did, however, in the form of a splitting headache and Chihiro found herself dropping to her knees, clutching onto her throbbing head and willing the ache to go away. The world began to spin round and round again, and for that split moment Chihiro thought that the floor beneath her had seemed to break into pieces of rubble and stone…

-----

"Yes, yes she's stirring. The drowsiness must be passing!" A voice again, speaking in hushed tones but it was not her mother. That, Chihiro was certain even though the headache was still there and she was having troubles in opening her eyes because of the sudden changes from complete darkness to rays of morning light.

"Ugh," she muttered while trying to sit up on the hard floor, her fingers scraping against it. Someone had kindly reached out his/her hand to help her and she was feeling all too grateful because the grogginess had not yet faded and she was suspecting herself of seeing doubles around her now.

"Uh thanks." Chihiro smiled weakly and looked up, into the expectant eyes of a young lady by the name of Rin.

"Rin!" She exclaimed, all pain and exhaustion thrown to the winds as she flung her arms around the surprised woman who accepted the greeting just as happily. "I missed you!"

"I expected that coming," Rin replied and winked teasingly at Chihiro who made a face, pretending to be angry. "But again, why are you back? I thought you should be happier out of Yubaba's grasp." Speaking in light tones, she pushed the fringes out of Chihiro's face and took a long, good look at it.

"Why…why can't I?" Chihiro retorted. She brushed the dust off her clothings and got up only to find herself in Rin's living quarters at the bathhouse. This was where she had lived so many years ago, even though it was only such a short stay, but she certainly had had her share of laughter and tears, fun and adventure…

The burning question popped into her mind once more, this time clearly and more formulated but Chihiro found it as usual ta be a tough one to ask about. She turned to face Rin, who still was kneeling on the floor and tried to look nonchalant, keeping her eyes trained on the newly purchased items in the room. Somehow though, she had a gut feeling that Rin was keeping her gaze on her fully as if she was simply waiting for her to ask the crucial question…

"Aren't you going to ask about him?" It came, except that it came from Rin's mouth instead of Chihiro's gaping one. She stopped and turned her back against Rin, fearing that she would see the indecisiveness and anxiety in her own eyes.

"Who?" The reply came in casual tones, or at least forced casual tones. "You mean Kamaji?"

"Chi-…you know that I don't mean him." There was a shuffling of feet, maybe Rin was walking but she continued nonetheless. "Kohaku, don't you want to know about him? Where he is, what he's doing, how is his life?"

Chihiro bit her lip, uncertain of what she should say in return. "Well…he can live his life in any manner as long as he is happy with it, I don't know…learn more magic, earn more money, even…get a girlfriend." She was shocked though, that by the end of her sentence how bitter her tone had sounded but she attempted weakly to cover it up with a falsely cheery laugh.

"Girlfriend!" There was a cacophony of footsteps hurrying in Chihiro's direction and someone, Rin, forcefully turned her around. Both girls stared at each other, one in confusion and the other in anxiety. "Tell me, did you see something before you came here? As in, well before you fainted at my doorstep…"

"Wait a minute, hold your horses Rin. I fainted at your doorstep? When was that!"

"Huh? Then how did you arrive here, dropping from the sky? You were knocked out at the bathhouse entrance and there were customers coming round already so I dragged you in here for a rest and fed you some medicine…Se-, oh gee, I still can't get over that habit. Chihiro, are you okay? I mean, did that fall smash your nerves or something?" She grabbed the stunned girl by her shoulders and shook them repeatedly, only to relent after Chihiro started to squeal in giddiness. "Right, sorry…but-"

"But what?" She was starting to sound irritated by the way Rin seemed to be hiding a thousand things from her, trying out means and ways to avoid her gaze. "If you're not going to tell me, things are definitely not going to get better."

"Gee, Chihiro, you're really growing into an articulate lady…well, if you really want to know…not that I can actually even hide it from you because, well, bad news tend to spread really fast…it's just-" But the untimely call from downstairs broke their intimate conversation, an urgent appeal for Rin to come down quickly.

"Rin! Rin! Hurry down here, we need lots of help here!"

Rin seemed just as irritated and exasperated for her reply came hastily. "Yeah, I got that Suzuki! Listen, I really cannot stay any longer, and I understand that you probably have thousands of questions in your head now but I must go…just remember not to wander around yourself, and," she looked hard into Chihiro's wide eyes, speaking every syllable so clearly as if she was lecturing a seven-year old child. "Steer clear of Haku-san's way, you get that? No matter what, do NOT try to talk to him, get close to him, find him whatever. Get that? I'll be back by eleven, I suppose, I'll find you here." Rin tied up the sash on her clothings and hurrying to put on her slippers, dashed out of the room.

Footsteps could be heard hurrying down the staircases and then, nothing was left but the harsh night winds blowing in though the open window and the millions of burning questions running through Chihiro's confused mind.

Questions, indeed. Just what was wrong with hanging around with Kohaku? And wasn't he supposed to have left Kamikakushi the day she herself left? And just what happened when she fainted and what creature was it which had tried to slash at her as if she had personally murdered its entire family…Family. She was starting to feel guilty, yet it was not because she had practically walked out on her parents but the fact that she was not feeling homesick at all.

Chihiro ran her fingers through her hair, contemplating further action. Was she really going to sit here and wait for answers, or try searching for them herself? After all, there was still time before the clock struck eleven…

-----

Kamikakushi at night was a very different scene from the morning. During the day, all one could see were endless plains of barren lands and abandoned stalls, but at night it was a place bursting with entertainment and flashing lights. It was the place for relaxation and fun and definitely one of liveliness. But of course, not everybody would be entirely pleased to see unauthorised people sneaking around for the act was widely known as "tresspassing" and more than often, the consequences were not exactly the best things in the world.

Which was why Chihiro, even though knew this place rather well, chose to move around the city in stealth mode and chose to avoid the most crowded of places and minimize the risk of being caught by surly guards.

Prioritise, her brain had analysed the situation and come out with a very valuable word, and currently that word was equivalent to Kohaku. But where would he be? Probably at Yubaba's office or something, and secretly she smiled to herself because she was going to embark on the same route she had taken eons ago on a trip to visit the resident witch.

Sure, it was definitely not the most pleasant event of her entire life, but it had its fair share of excitement and risks, and as her father would always say after work, success comes with calculated risks, Chihiro thought inwardly, her body uncomfortably squashed against the elevator walls except that this time, what was squashing her was a very much oversized female which did not look like anything Chihiro could associate with her school text.

The lift bell rang to signal the arrival at a level before Yubaba's and the customers all filed out one by one to their respective positions at the bathhouse. All, except the fat female creature which seemed very much oblivious to the fact that someone much smaller was crushed under her bodyweight very uncomfortably. Chihiro considered telling her that the bathhouses ended on the floor below but the bell rang once more and the lift doors opened to reveal the same dark surroundings which never failed to give Chihiro the creeps.

Suddenly, she wondered why on earth was she even trying to find Kohaku under such difficult circumstances.

The female creature gave a grunt in acknowledgement and tentatively popped her head out to take a good look of the surroundings. She sniffed around, now breathing heavily as she shuffled out and turned down the right corridors which were mainly closed doors, each of a different colour. Chihiro wondered why she had never seen that before but assumed that it was a new addition after she had left.

Now, it was her turn to venture out into the darkness. Chihiro took a deep steadying breath and once out realised that she had no idea where to look for the boy, or maybe a man by now. Certainly not face-to-face with Yubaba, she shuddered at the thought of even seeing the woman on a photograph.

She reached into her pockets and dug out a coin which she had got on an overseas trip once. It was her lucky charm, as she would always say to her classmates, of course, and the hairtie which Zeniba and the rest had made for her the last time she came to Kamikakushi. She flipped it and fate decided for her to move right.

Tiptoeing on the carpeted floor, she listened carefully and looked around for anything which could bring her to her final destination, anything which she could associate with Kohaku. Maybe if she had been more alert, she would have noticed something creeping up behind her, something with ominous-looking 2 heads.

Someone was talking rather loudly inside one of the rooms, but her voice was too fast to be comprehended properly. Chihiro pressed her ear against the room door to try to get a better impression of the conversation, but the voice which replied startled her for a moment.

"Yes I understand the situation, I know exactly how to deal with her…fear not, my heart lies here and remains unchanged…" His voice became muffled and Chihiro assumed that he was walking further into the room when suddenly there was shuffling of feet towards her direction and without hesitation, the door was flung open to reveal a familiar face and a familiar figure.

Chihiro cupped her palms over her mouth to avoid having her gasp being heard by others but Kohaku seemed to be looking equally surprised and shocked for his gaze remained riveted on her face, gaping.

"Is there anything wrong there, Haku-sama?" The female voice, this time in a wary tone.

Kohaku hesitated for a split second but replied. "No, nothing. I must get going now." With that he gently shut the door behind him and turned to grab Chihiro by the wrist, pulling her a few steps away from the room and in front of a purple-coloured door which wrote "No entry" on it.

Warningly, he pressed his fingers on Chihiro's lips while he performed an incantation of some sort, waving his hands in the air and Chihiro felt an icy feeling course through her. It disappeared in the next minute but she could tell that his skills had increased considerably, be it positively or negatively.

"There, no one should be able to eavesdrop on us now, and I've given you twenty minutes of invisibility." He glanced around with guarded eyes before turning back to Chihiro, who was equally stunned by the sudden turn in the situation. "Chihiro, what do you think you are doing by coming back here!"

"I…What about you then, I thought you were leaving to find me?" She retorted angrily, hands on her hips, a gesture which made Kohaku's brows go way up but she disregarded it in her moment of sheer fury and disappointment. "I should be asking you that question instead, Haku-sama."

"Haku-sa…you know my name is Kohaku."

"Don't you know that yourself?"

"…Chihiro, you must understand that everything we do has implications in the future and let's just take it that I decided to stay and hone my skills." He finished off simply, as if he felt that the explanation was more than enough to account for his choice in life.

Chihiro bit her lips, feeling a familiar sense of frustration boiling within her, yet there were tears welling as well. Tears which she herself could not explain why, and they slowly slid out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Kohaku's impassive face showed signs of softening up, reaching out to pat the girl on the shoulder and wipe off her tears. "Just go, this place is not meant for you."

"But I want to stay! And if you cannot find a more suitable reason to chase me out of here, I think that I am quite determined to-" Chihiro screamed, the exact moment when Kohaku leapt swiftly out of the way of the creature so bent on taking the young lady's life. He dragged Chihiro along with him and pushing her onto the ground, shielded her from the monster's approach. She could hear him mutter an incantation, feel the ground vibrating beneath her, sense energy waves formulate around them and she was not sure what had happened exactly but not long after that, Kohaku called to her that it was safe to get up.

Chihiro stumbled to her feet and turned around, only to see a wisp of black smoke rising from where the creature had originally been.

"Oh well, that's another thing off my mind." She looked up at Kohaku but the way his eyes seemed to penetrate through hers with sheer fury shocked her a little. Through him, she could sometimes even feel evilness and a change in his temperament but this was the first time she ever felt all sorts of negative emotions boiling within him, even to the extent of waiting to be unleashed!

"You okay?"

"Fine enough." The same cold tone, the same expressionless face while he shook off some dust on his sleeves.

Yet when he turned around to face Chihiro, she thought she saw the smallest of smiles across his face and she returned it with her biggest smile ever. It was only then when she finally took a long, good look at the person she had been dreaming of for as long as she remembered.

He was a taller and handsome young man now, looking more athletically fit than ever with his well-toned body, even though he still retained his most beautiful green eyes. His clothes were now more intricate in design and his sleek hair was now of shoulder-length. The face was as unreadable as ever, hardly even smiling but Chihiro was just glad to have him around again after such a long wait.

"What are you staring at?" He asked after a long while and Chihiro was jerked back to her senses. She stifled a giggle by passing it off as an unconvincing burp, but he showed no signs of noticing it. "Anyway, I do not approve of you staying but if you are so adamant about it…I guess I'll send you back to Rin's first and I'll see you the first thing next morning."

"Huh? Rin…Oh! I agreed to meet her at eleven! I'm so going to be late!" Chihiro gasped in panic, looking frantically at Kohaku who looked as if he was having a hard time trying to keep in his amusement. "Uh, Kohaku…"

"Listen, I'll send you back now within seconds now but you must promise to stay where Rin is and not wander around. Okay?"

Chihiro smiled in acknowledgement and reached out her pinky. "Deal?"

Kohaku sighed and locked his pinky with hers. "Deal." The promise was made and Chihiro felt her heart lift considerably. She saw Kohaku wave his hands slightly and a wisp of green smoke slowly unfolded before her eyes. It was as if the world was breaking apart beneath her but before she could yell anything, her feet touched the familiar ground of Rin's quarters and she fell to her knees, exhausted but equally excited about her encounter with Kohaku.

And Rin was even telling me not to get any closer to Kohaku…Chihiro mused inwardly. How strange.

There were giggles and excited talk outside the door and Chihiro looked up in time to see Rin return with a group of babbling friends, each of them gasping in surprise when they saw Chihiro. Equally elated, she exchanged hugs with each and every one of them and chatted about the good old days until the wee hours of night and having worked hard all evening, the girls dropped into deep slumbers.

It was only then did she realise that Rin was standing on the corridors, eyes cast on somewhere far out at sea. She's waiting for me, Chihiro thought as she rubbed her sleepy eyes but nonetheless slipped into her slippers and went out to join her friend.

"How is Haku-sama nowadays?"

The question took Chihiro completely off guard and she looked hastily away from Rin's probing gaze, choosing to be more interested in the horizon far, far away. "I…I don't know."

"Why bother hiding it? I know it already. I mean, I saw you leaving. Where else could you go to?" Rin returned her gaze to the same horizon and a familiar sense of nostalgia overwhelmed both girls.

"I…He's fine. Not as bad as you think of him, I suppose."

Rin did not reply but chose to hum a little tune. It did not sound familiar so Chihiro thought it must be a song of this land, something exotic but its slow melancholic tune brought about many feelings within herself. Things she thought she had forgotten about, things she would want to forget about…

The song ended soon, and Rin yawned an indication of wanting to go back to bed. "I dunno, but," she paused slightly. "After all these years, some things may have changed." She turned to walk back into her darkened quarters for bed, but added as an afterthought. "But definitely not our friendship."

"Goodnight, Chihiro." She closed the doors partially behind her, leaving only a gap for better ventilation.

Chihiro looked distantly at the grids on the door, the flimsy papers stuck between the wooden blocks. What Kohaku had mentioned about interrelations, it seemed to strike a chord within yet she could not say what was it. And there was Rin's attitude, why did things all seem so complicated when one grew up?

The night was quiet, the waves of the ocean rolling onto the shore in clear ripples. Above, the crescent moon shone on dimly in a sky without stars. Chihiro suddenly felt an urge to sit down and cry, but even crying seemed to be so difficult now.

She could not, and she would not.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thanks a million to all those who reviewed, that really gave me the boost to continue with the story! Yeps, and all the reviews are just so detailed! I'm really thankful cuz it really gave me all the suggestions and comments which are real useful to my writing, so my heart goes all out to Kyr the d00b, The Silver Feathered Raven, ROLAMdimensi, kohirihiri and ChildlikeEmpress! ))


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